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15/07/2016

There's a Love Island shaped hole in my life and I'm not sure what to do.

For the last six weeks, each time 8.55pm has rolled around I've been frantically grabbing a drink and any necessary snacks ready to tune into the best hour of the day: Love Island.

Never had a Saturday night been dreaded so much, with that being the only night that we couldn't get our fix of the Islanders. Sob.

It even got to the stage where our social life (I say that in the loosest possible way, we're hardly social butterflies) took a hit because we didn't want to miss an episode. After going to Nando's one night for tea, Tom asked if I wanted to go to the cinema after. I looked at my watch, it was 8.25pm. "Nah," I said. "If we leave now we'll be home for Love Island." And we were, just in time.

There is a huge Love Island shaped hole in my life now, to the point where I actually wonder what I did before the show bounded into our lives.

Never did I expect to get so hooked, when my friend recommended I start watching it all those weeks ago. "I'll give it a go," I said to her, not really thinking it would end up being the highlight of each day.

Tom was just as hooked as me too, which I loved. I came home from shopping one day to find him sat catching up on the previous night's episode that he'd missed. He also loved bouncing through the door from work telling me the latest spoilers for that night's episode. "How do you know that?" I'd ask him. "Oh, I read it on The Mirror," he'd say.

Guy after my own heart, right there!

He even chose Love Island to be on the TV over the football when the Euros were on. Granted, when England played, Love Island was on after (although, given their performance, it would have far more entertaining to watch Love Island instead!)

Everyone was talking about it, and everyone had their opinion.

Terry and Emma's sexcapades on top of the covers - was it to get back at Tom? Or was she trying to stop it being filmed? Was she playing a game? Or were they just in the heat of the moment?

Malin's confrontation with Terry - was she right to have a go at him? Did he cheat on her? Should he have just said sorry?

Sophie and Katie's fleeting coupling - was Sophie playing a game? Was Katie playing a game? Was the 'kiss' on their date really a proper kiss? Did Sophie just leave because she panicked about public perception after the tweet game?

Kady and Scott - there were just too many questions there! Who was mugging who off? Was Scott right to forgive her for the James thing and the way she spoke to Tina on the infamous Hideaway night? Were they just sticking together to try and win? Will they have a future?

Then Zara. Poor, poor Zara. Should she have been stripped of her Miss GB title? (Hell no, in my opinion!) Should Adam have coupled up with her in the first place? If she'd stayed would she have ever found love?

SO many questions, the debate was never-ending.

When I heard earlier this week there was to be a spin-off show this weekend, I was literally overjoyed. I've kept saying I want to see what goes on when they are all out. How are we to know if they all stay together? If Sophie and Tom made up? If Terry and Emma really will last on the outside? Or if Terry will ever admit he was a complete douchebag?

I've found that incessantly stalking them all on social media goes some way towards filling the void in my life at the moment, but it's just not the same.

Especially not without the incredible wit of the Love Island voiceover guy, who somehow even managed to crack Brexit jokes at a time when everyone else in the country seemed to be having a meltdown.

His witty commentary, well-timed jokes and off-the-cuff remarks were just one of the reasons this has been, possibly, my favourite reality TV show ever.
The 'scandal' that has apparently surrounded it is laughable really. The show is called Love Island, it's not called 'Convent Island'. People went in there with the aim of finding love. Nathan and Cara, for example, clicked from day one. On the outside world, it would be so rare for couples to wait six weeks before having sex. Given the fact they were in there in such an intense situation, seeing each other 24/7, it probably felt more like they'd known each other six months. Something that, these days, is an unfathomable amount of time to wait.

The old-fashioned attitude of not having sex on TV was so apparent in some of the criticism. Fair enough you wouldn't expect to see Gail Platt or Sally Webster having sex on Coronation Street. But that's not reality TV (or on after the watershed).

Reality TV is to show reality and, when people have strong romantic and sexual feelings for each other, sex is the reality.

The girl is 20. Fair enough, she only knew the guy a few hours and that's possibly not the best way to initiate it, but 20-year-old girls do have one night stands. They do make mistakes. I get the feeling that even if Zara had been in a Nathan and Cara style relationship, and had sex on TV, she still would have been stripped of her title - which, too, would have been uncalled for.

The old-fashioned outlook of the organisation was almost laughable. The poor girl had worked so hard to achieve her title. What do these people expect her to do? Wear a chastity belt for the entire length of her reign? Women like sex just as much as men do, and it's unfair that she was penalised for that.

Ooft, got onto a bit of a rant there!

I'm already mega excited for next year's season, but I would have a few suggestions for the producers/makers.

Number one - pleeease make it more than one hour a night. Or at least give us a proper show on a Sunday.

If that's not possible, number two: Can we have a spin-off show? X Factor has The Xtra Factor and Big Brother has Bit on the Side - Love Island could have something similar. It could feature dumped Islanders giving their opinion on things and Islanders from former series coming back, as well as other well-known celebs/personalities on a panel. I'd be happy to present it, if you're needing someone. Just saying.

Number three - Ditch the couple who were part of the Superdrug advert, they were more annoying than Zara's constant references to being Miss GB.

Number 4 - Can we have more Caroline Flack please? I love her, don't get me wrong, but her role this season barely warranted her being called 'the presenter'. If I'd heard her say 'This summer, it's survival of the fittest' one more time... More Flack next time, ta!

Number 5 - Six weeks went by too quick, next year's should be longer!

All in all, it's safe to say Love Island pulled me in good and proper. I can't wait to see if the couples stay together. If Nathan and Cara split, though, I think I will have a meltdown.